• If you sit at a desk all day, don't perch¹ on the edge of your seat at work trying to sit up straight. The best thing you can do is scoot your hips² and butt³ against the back of the chair, and use it for support -- that's what it's there for. You have to support your spine⁴. Your muscles are going to get tired, they will fatigue⁵ and you'll slowly start slumping⁶ down.

• Get up frequently and walk around. (I wear a Jawbone fitness tracker that vibrates when it senses that I haven't moved in a long time. I also sometimes set my phone alarm to go off every 30 minutes, and I do jumping jacks⁷. Sometimes.)

• If you carry a heavy shoulder bag, make sure to carry it on both your right and left shoulder, switching off as each gets tired. Even better: wear a cross-body bag so that the weight's more evenly distributed.

• Work out your core. Never mind a six-pack -- you need to concentrate on the transverse（横向的） abdominus（腹肌）, the deep abdominal⁸ muscle that acts as a "corset" around the lumbar spine. To do this: lay on your back with your knees bent⁹, put your hands on your hips, breathe normally, and pull your belly¹⁰ button straight down to your spine. You don't want your pelvis to tilt¹¹ or lift, which is why you have your hands on your pelvis. Hold it for 5 seconds and repeat. Once you get it, you can do it all the time, just sitting at work and it becomes a habit.

• You can work on your posture¹² in a more hard-core way at the gym, too.

• Sullivan recommends focusing on the upper back and shoulder muscles. One of her favorite exercises is having clients stand up against a wall, with their hips touching¹³ the wall. Put a tennis ball between your shoulder blades and try to squeeze the ball. Rows are also excellent for improving posture, since it causes you to pull your shoulders up and back.